Israeli president to make first state visit to UAE

Israel's President Isaac Herzog will make his first visit to the UAE at the end of the month, his office said on Tuesday, in the latest high-profile diplomatic trip since the countries normalised ties in a controversial deal slammed by much of the Arab world.

Herzog's office said the president, who will travel with the first lady, will meet United Arab Emirates' Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan during the January 30-31 trip.

"We have the privilege of making history by making the first visit of an Israeli president to the United Arab Emirates," Herzog said in the statement, adding that the countries were "laying the foundations of a new shared future".

Herzog is also scheduled to meet with the ruler of Dubai and senior government officials, and visit the Dubai Expo, his office said.

The visit comes some 16 months after the wealthy UAE broke with decades of Arab consensus and forged diplomatic ties with Israel.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett last month became the first Israeli head of government to visit UAE, in a trip that partly focused on international talks on Iran's nuclear programme, a top Israeli security priority.

Herzog, whose position is largely ceremonial, will be the first Israeli head of state to officially visit the UAE.

Bahrain and Morocco have also normalised ties with Israel under the controversial US-led deal, which Palestinians slammed as a betrayal of their cause.

Sudan has agreed to do so but formal diplomatic relations have not emerged amid roiling instability in Khartoum.